SOFIA'S POV Once I was back in my room, I sat quietly on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing in particular. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get rid of the memory of the kiss from Jackson.It wasn’t even on the lips—just a soft brush on my forehead. But the feeling of it lingered like a scent I couldn’t shake off.I kept replaying it again and again in my head. The way he leaned in, the warmth of his breath, the way his eyes softened before he did it… Why was it stuck in my mind like this?I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Ugh, get out of my head already!” I muttered to myself.The more I tried to forget it, the more intense it became. Like it had unlocked something I didn’t want to face. Something I wasn’t ready to accept.It was frustrating. I paced the room for a while, hoping to distract myself. But his voice, his words, his gaze—everything was still so fresh.Eventually, I just slumped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe… maybe I should sto
SOFIA'S POV The next morning, Amy and I decided to take a walk around the pack. The air was crisp and fresh, and the morning sun peeked gently through the trees. Birds chirped above us, and for the first time in days, the world felt somewhat normal—at least on the outside.Amy skipped beside me, holding my hand tightly. She was so full of life, pointing at everything she saw—flowers, butterflies, and even a tiny lizard crawling up a tree trunk.“Sofia! Look! That flower is purple, just like my favorite dress!” she giggled.I smiled faintly, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Yes, it’s beautiful, just like you.”She beamed at me, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to enjoy the quiet.But then, footsteps crunched on the gravel behind us.“Can I join you?” a voice asked gently.I turned around to see Jackson standing there, his arms crossed casually, a soft look in his eyes. He wasn’t smirking or forcing anything—just looking at me calmly.I hesitated, my thoughts swirling. Par
SOFIA'S POV I felt like I was going crazy.A whole week. A full, dragging, miserable week—and still no sign of Sofia. Nothing. Not even a single whisper in the wind about her whereabouts.Every second without her felt like a blade dragging slowly across my skin.I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I couldn't breathe right. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face—her soft, warm smile, the fire in her eyes when she was angry, the way her voice used to calm the chaos in my mind.I wondered what they had done to her. Where was she? Was she locked up somewhere? Was she hurt?My chest tightened painfully, and I ran a hand down my face. “Could she even still be alive?” I thought aloud, my voice barely a whisper.But no. I couldn’t let my mind wander there.I immediately shook my head, pushing the dark thought out. No. Sofia’s strong. She has to be alive. She has to be.“Alpha,” Mark said gently from across the room, his voice almost hesitant. “We’ve searched every known rogue territory. N
SOFIA'S POV Pondering more on it, it began to make more sense to me.How Dane had suddenly approached me, out of nowhere, and then—without even properly courting me—offered to marry me right away.Back then, I had found it strange. His interest had been… intense. Too intense. But I was vulnerable at the time. I was running from Mike, from a past that nearly ruined me.So when Dane showed up, with his calm words, charming looks, and powerful aura… I thought I had found something safe. Something solid. I thought I was lucky.Stupid.I clenched my fists as the realization crawled through my chest like fire.Maybe it hadn’t been love at all. Maybe I had only been chosen. Selected like some object. A vessel.*The one who could break the curse.*“I was so foolish,” I muttered under my breath, my voice trembling. “How could I not see it?”From the other side of the room, Jackson was watching me in silence. He didn’t interrupt. He didn’t have to. My thoughts were already dragging me deeper i
SOFIA'S POV As if all that he had said wasn’t enough, Jackson returned minutes later, this time with a sleek black tablet in his hand. His expression was unreadable, but the way he walked in—slow, confident—made my skin crawl. There was a strange silence in the room, the kind that made my chest feel heavy.I sat upright on the edge of the couch, still shaken by everything I had heard earlier. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion, betrayal, and fear. And now he was back, again.I glared hard at him, my brows furrowed tightly. I could feel the anger boiling in my chest, sharp and restless. He had already turned my world upside down with his words—what more did he want from me now?Why had he come again?He walked past the edge of the couch and sat beside me slowly, too slowly, like he was giving me time to speak… but I didn’t. I pressed my lips together and turned my face slightly away from him.From the corner of my eye, I saw him lift the tablet.“Do you still have doubt about al
SOFIA'S POV I was flabbergasted. My lips parted slightly, but no words came out. My heart thudded loudly in my chest, louder than before, as if trying to knock some sense into me. How in the world did Alpha Jackson know all this? How did he find out about the scroll—something I hadn’t spoken to anyone about? Not even Dane.My hands slowly dropped to my sides, cold and limp. I felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. My mind raced. There was no way he could have guessed that part. The scroll was hidden, protected, and locked away… or so I had thought.Hearing those words from him confirmed my fears to an extent. Something was very, very wrong.He saw the confusion all over my face and smiled slightly—almost sadly, as if he pitied me."You look shocked, Sofia," he said in a calm voice, stepping closer, his eyes not leaving mine. "You shouldn't be. I told you—I know everything that happens around here. Secrets have a way of crawling out of their hiding places.""That scrol